Overview
Title
To prioritize funding for an expanded and sustained national investment in biomedical research.
ELI5 AI
The "American Cures Act" wants to give more money each year to health research groups like the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, so they can work on finding cures and keeping people healthy, without having to worry about certain kinds of budget cuts.
Summary AI
The "American Cures Act" (S. 4879) is a bill that aims to prioritize funding for long-term investments in biomedical research in the United States. It proposes specific amounts of money to be appropriated to various health-related organizations each year, including the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense's health program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs. The funding is scheduled to increase annually and will be adjusted according to inflation. The bill also exempts these appropriations from certain budget cuts known as sequestration and prevents these expenses from being counted against statutory and Senate pay-as-you-go requirements.
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AnalysisAI
This legislative proposal, introduced in the U.S. Senate as S. 4879, is titled the "American Cures Act." Its primary aim is to prioritize funding for a broadened and sustained investment in biomedical research across various governmental agencies. This includes the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Defense health program, and the Department of Veterans Affairs medical research program. The bill sets out a clear financial roadmap from fiscal year 2025 to 2035 and establishes mechanisms for continual funding adjustments based on inflation rates.
Bill Summary
The bill delineates specific funding amounts for each designated agency over a ten-year period. Specifically, it proposes substantial annual increases in funding for biomedical research at government institutions, with a significant jump projected annually. From the year 2035 onwards, these allocations would automatically increase in accordance with inflation rates, indexed by the Consumer Price Index (CPI). Additionally, the bill introduces exemptions for these financial appropriations from standard budgetary restriction mechanisms, such as sequestration and Pay-As-You-Go (PAYGO) scorecards.
Significant Issues
A critical issue raised by the bill concerns the lack of justification or clarity for the proposed funding increases. It does not provide sufficient explanation as to why such specific amounts are necessary or how they would translate into tangible outcomes in biomedical research.
Additionally, the provision that future funding is indexed to the CPI without further review could lead to unchecked increases in spending. This approach may bypass regular oversight, potentially leading to financial inefficiencies or mismanagement.
The bill also exempts the proposed appropriations from sequestration and PAYGO scorecards. Typically, these are tools used to maintain fiscal discipline and ensure transparency, and their absence raises potential concerns about accountability.
Finally, the definition section of the bill lacks detail, merely listing general support for various programs without specifying the particular initiatives or objectives these funds aim to support. This lack of clarity could hinder understanding of the bill's exact targets and impacts.
Impact on the Public
The proposed American Cures Act could have significant implications for public health and the medical research landscape in the United States. If effectively implemented, it may lead to advanced research breakthroughs and improved medical outcomes for the population, addressing urgent health challenges and potentially lowering healthcare costs over the long term.
For specific stakeholders such as biomedical researchers, healthcare providers, and patients, this bill could serve as a catalyst for increased innovation and care improvements. Research institutions might benefit from the expanded funding, allowing for more robust and expansive projects while ensuring financial stability over an extended period.
Impact on Stakeholders
However, for taxpayers and budget watchdogs, the bill's structure may raise concerns regarding fiscal responsibility and the necessity of the large-scale funding increases. The lack of transparency tools and assured accountability processes could potentially lead to skepticism about the efficient use of public funds.
In conclusion, while striving to foster innovation in medical research and public health, the American Cures Act may provoke debate centered on its budgetary implications, oversight mechanisms, and long-term financial sustainability. As the legislative process continues, it would benefit from incorporating more transparency and justification to address potential fiscal concerns while maximizing its intended positive impacts on health and research.
Financial Assessment
The "American Cures Act" is a legislative proposal designed to increase funding for biomedical research across various U.S. health-related organizations. The bill outlines specific financial appropriations intended to bolster research efforts and development in the health sector, with an emphasis on steady funding growth to address future needs.
Financial Appropriations
National Institutes of Health (NIH): The bill allocates a substantial budget for the NIH, starting at $52.468 billion in fiscal year 2025, and progressively increasing to $104.884 billion by fiscal year 2034. For subsequent years, the funding will further increase based on the Consumer Price Index (CPI).
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): The CDC is designated $9.96 billion in fiscal year 2025, rising to $19.911 billion by fiscal year 2034. From fiscal year 2035 onwards, annual adjustments will reflect changes in the CPI.
Department of Defense Health Program: This department’s research, development, test, and evaluation program is allocated starting funds of $3.55 billion in fiscal year 2025, reaching $7.096 billion in fiscal year 2034, with future increases tied to the CPI.
Department of Veterans Affairs Medical and Prosthetics Research: Starting with $1.018 billion in fiscal year 2025, this program’s funding grows to $2.035 billion by fiscal year 2034, again with CPI-based adjustments in later years.
Financial Implications and Issues
The bill attempts to protect these appropriations from automatic spending cuts by exempting them from sequestration. This exemption, highlighted in Section 2(d), can be seen as a double-edged sword. While it helps safeguard vital research funding from budgetary reductions, it might also lead to concerns about fiscal discipline. Without the checks provided by sequestration, there could be a lack of accountability, potentially resulting in unchecked spending growth.
Additionally, the bill's provision to exclude these appropriations from appearing on statutory and Senate PAYGO scorecards raises transparency issues. This exclusion, discussed in Section 2(e), might be perceived as circumventing standard budgetary oversight, which could undermine balanced budget practices.
The commitment to consistent funding increases without detailed justification, as outlined in Section 2(a), also presents concerns. Without explicit rationalization for these allocations, questions arise about whether this level of funding increase is necessary or efficient, possibly leading to financial waste.
Moreover, the mechanism for adjusting future appropriations based on the CPI, as stated for fiscal year 2035 and beyond, lacks clarity in its calculation and verification method. This automatic adjustment could result in substantial spending increases over time without thorough review, potentially leading to significant fiscal implications if not managed carefully.
Lastly, the bill provides a list of definitions, notably in Section 2(c), yet falls short of clarifying what specific activities or projects the funds are designated for. This lack of detail can create ambiguity about how exactly the financial resources will be utilized within the relevant agencies or programs.
In conclusion, while the "American Cures Act" aims to secure and enhance funding for crucial biomedical research, its financial strategies bring forth several concerns regarding oversight, accountability, and sustained fiscal impact. These issues underline the importance of careful examination and potentially a more structured framework for implementing such financial appropriations.
Issues
The exemption of this bill from sequestration could raise concerns about fiscal discipline and accountability since these appropriations would not be subject to automatic spending cuts, potentially leading to unchecked increases in spending (Section 2(d)).
The exemption from being entered on either statutory or Senate PAYGO scorecards circumvents transparency requirements, affecting balanced budget considerations. This move could lead to concerns about bypassing standard fiscal accountability measures (Section 2(e)).
Increasing funding allocations consistently without providing justification or explanation raises concerns about the necessity and efficiency of such high budget allocations, contributing to potential financial waste or mismanagement (Section 2(a)).
The provision for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter to be increased by the Consumer Price Index (CPI) lacks clarity on calculation and verification, potentially resulting in substantial automatic spending increases without periodic review (Section 2(a)).
The definition section merely lists which appropriations accounts support various institutes and programs without detailed clarification, leading to continued ambiguity regarding what funds are specifically allocated towards (Section 2(c)).
The short title section lacks details or context regarding the provisions or objectives of the 'American Cures Act', potentially leading to misunderstandings about its aims and possibly limiting informed public discourse (Section 1).
Sections
Sections are presented as they are annotated in the original legislative text. Any missing headers, numbers, or non-consecutive order is due to the original text.
1. Short title Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The first section of the bill states that this piece of legislation is called the "American Cures Act".
2. Appropriations for Innovation Read Opens in new tab
Summary AI
The section outlines authorized funding amounts for the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Department of Defense health program, and Department of Veterans Affairs medical research program from 2025 to 2035, with amounts adjusted annually for inflation starting in 2035. Additionally, it specifies that these funds will not be subject to budget cuts under sequestration and clarifies their exclusion from certain budgetary scoring systems.
Money References
- (a) In general.—There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated, the following: (1) NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.—For the National Institutes of Health at the Department of Health and Human Services— (A) for fiscal year 2025, $52,468,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2026, $56,665,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2027, $61,198,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2028, $66,094,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2029, $71,382,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2030, $77,093,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2031, $83,260,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2032, $89,921,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2033, $97,115,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2034, $104,884,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (2) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.—For the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention at the Department of Health and Human Services— (A) for fiscal year 2025, $9,960,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2026, $10,757,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2027, $11,618,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2028, $12,547,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2029, $13,551,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2030, $14,635,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2031, $15,806,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2032, $17,070,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2033, $18,436,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2034, $19,911,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
- (A) for fiscal year 2025, $3,550,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2026, $3,834,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2027, $4,141,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2028, $4,472,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2029, $4,830,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2030, $5,216,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2031, $5,633,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2032, $6,084,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2033, $6,571,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2034, $7,096,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (4) MEDICAL AND PROSTHETICS RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.—For the medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs— (A) for fiscal year 2025, $1,018,000,000; (B) for fiscal year 2026, $1,099,000,000; (C) for fiscal year 2027, $1,187,000,000; (D) for fiscal year 2028, $1,282,000,000; (E) for fiscal year 2029, $1,385,000,000; (F) for fiscal year 2030, $1,496,000,000; (G) for fiscal year 2031, $1,616,000,000; (H) for fiscal year 2032, $1,745,000,000; (I) for fiscal year 2033, $1,885,000,000; (J) for fiscal year 2034, $2,035,000,000; and (K) for fiscal year 2035 and each fiscal year thereafter, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the previous fiscal year, increased by the percentage increase (if any), during the previous fiscal year, in the Consumer Price Index for all urban consumers published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics. (b) Availability.—Amounts appropriated under subsection (a) shall remain available until expended. (c) Definitions.—In this section: (1) CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL AND PREVENTION.—The term “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2) RESEARCH, DEVELOPMENT, TEST, AND EVALUATION PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HEALTH PROGRAM.—The term “research, development, test, and evaluation program of the Department of Defense health program” means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the research, development, test, and evaluation program of the Department of Defense health program. (3) MEDICAL AND PROSTHETICS RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS.—The term “medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs” means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the medical and prosthetics research program of the Department of Veterans Affairs. (4) NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH.—The term “National Institutes of Health” means the appropriations accounts that support the various institutes, offices, and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health. (d) Exemption of certain appropriations from sequestration.